Creative drama means using dramatic skills and tools—such as pantomime, puppets, and masks—to create stories, scenes, characters, and plays. “Pantomime” is a type of acting where you perform without speaking. A “mime” uses her body and facial expressions when she acts, but she does not use her voice. New York, New York; Statue Maker; and What Are You Doing? are games using pantomime.
For centuries, puppets and masks have been used as creative drama tools. You can create your own puppets and masks and use them in scenes. When you put on a puppet show, your hand becomes the character, and you use different voices to create different people. Use your homemade puppets in The Frog Prince.
Masks date back to ancient Japan. The samurai used masks to frighten their enemies. Primitive people used masks in rituals to earn luck, to bring rain, and to help win wars. The ancient Greeks were the first to use masks in theater.
When you act with masks, you use your body, because the mask never changes its expression. For example, the mask cannot smile, but you can show happiness by jumping up and down joyfully. The mask cannot cry, but you can show sadness by making your body droop.
Get your imagination in full gear for these timeless, creative drama activities.
“Mimes” are actors who do not use words or sounds when they act. They rely on their gestures and expressions to show their feelings and let the audience know what they are doing. “Pantomime” is acting without words or sounds. In improv, objects are usually pantomimed because you never know what you will need. Pantomime gives you the freedom to create any object in the world.
Marcel Marceau was a mime whose most famous character was named Bip.
Practice using your objects. Notice how your hands and body move. After some practice, perform for others without any of the objects, but move your body as you would when using each one. See if other actors can guess what object you’re using.
Try acting out the following pantomime scenes alone or with a group:
See how many scenes you can come up with on your own. After performing a few scenes, let another player perform while you try to figure out what he’s doing.
Here’s a fast-paced, competitive game using pantomime. All you need is room to run.
Divide into two teams. Team A goes to one end of the room, touching the wall; team B goes to the other end of the room, touching the opposite wall. Team A thinks of a job to pantomime. When team A has decided on a job, they let team B know they are ready for the game to begin.
Members of team B take a giant step toward the center and ask, “Where are you from?”
Members of team A take a giant step toward the center and answer, “New York, New York.”
Members of team B, taking another giant step, ask, “What’s your trade?”
Members of team A, taking another giant step, answer, “Lemonade.”
Members of team B take one more step and demand, “Show us if you’re not afraid.”
Team A begins pantomiming their job. Team B guesses out loud what that job is. As soon as a player from team B guesses correctly, team A turns and runs back to their wall while team B runs after them, trying to tag them. If a team A member is tagged before he reaches the wall, he must join team B. The game continues with team B, coming up with a job and following the steps above until they get to pantomime their chosen job. Keep playing the game until everyone is on the same team.
In this game, you can be a shopper, a salesperson, and even a magic statue that comes to life. Use pantomime to show what kind of statue you are.
Collectively decide who will be the statue maker and who will be the shopper. Everyone else will be a statue. When ready, the statue maker says, “Go crazy!” Each statue begins to dance around, moving and shaking her body every which way until the statue maker yells, “Freeze!” All statues freeze immediately.
At this point, the shopper comes in to buy a statue. The statue maker welcomes the shopper to the statue store and shows him around. They stop at each statue and turn it on, one at a time, by touching the statue on one shoulder. When a statue is turned on, it begins moving and acting like whatever kind of statue it is. As soon as the statue maker and the shopper can tell what kind of statue it is, they turn it off by touching its shoulder again. Then they move on to the next statue.
After they have checked out all of the statues, the shopper chooses which one he wants to buy. The chosen statue becomes the next statue maker. The previous statue maker becomes the next shopper. And the original shopper becomes a statue. Now the game is ready to begin again.
Acting tips for statues: When you’re a statue and you’re in your frozen position, think about what kind of statue you will be when you are turned on. Use the position you’re frozen in to help come up with ideas for this. For example, if you freeze while lying face down on your stomach, you may want to become a snake statue or a swimming statue; if you freeze standing up with your arms in a circle above your head, you may want to become a ballerina statue or a basketball-hoop statue.
In “farces,” characters will often pretend to be statues when they are hiding from others.
This competitive pantomime game is for quick thinkers. Choose a partner. Ask your partner, “What are you doing?” Your partner responds with something she is not doing, such as, “I’m eating an ice-cream cone.” You start pantomiming eating an ice-cream cone. Your partner asks you, “What are you doing?” Still eating the ice-cream cone, you respond with something you are not doing, such as, “I’m climbing a tree.” Your partner pantomimes climbing a tree. Whatever she answers, you do. Whatever you answer, she does. The game continues until someone is out.
Here’s an example of how this game might work.
TREVOR:
What are you doing?
APRIL:
I’m walking a dog.
Trevor pantomimes walking a dog.
APRIL:
What are you doing?
TREVOR (still walking a dog):
I’m making a sandwich.
April pantomimes making a sandwich.
TREVOR (still walking a dog):
What are you doing?
APRIL (still making a sandwich):
I’m taking a nap.
Trevor pantomimes taking a nap.
APRIL (still making a sandwich):
What are you doing?
TREVOR (still taking a nap):
I’m sleeping.
Trevor is out because sleeping is too similar to taking a nap. April wins the game.
Place the piece of fabric on a flat surface. Place the Popsicle stick on the fabric so that one end of the stick is in the center of the fabric and the other end hangs over the edge of the fabric. Fold the other half of the fabric over the stick and push the end of the stick with the fabric on it halfway into a Styrofoam ball. This ball will be the head of your puppet. Glue decorations on to the ball to create the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hair for your puppet. When the glue dries, you are ready to play with your puppet!
Hold your puppet by the bottom end of the stick. Come up with a skit or use one of the activities in the last chapter of this book and use your puppets as the performers.
Place the bag flat on top of a table with the flap side up. Use the flap as the mouth for your puppet. Use a marker to draw on lips—one lip above the flap and one lip below it, but connected at the flap. Cut out eyes, a nose, and ears from the construction paper. Glue these onto the bag above the flap. Use the markers to draw on more details, such as eyebrows, or cut out more shapes from the construction paper and glue them on, too. If you want, and if it suits your puppet character, cut out a tongue and teeth to glue under the flap.
You can make shadow puppets by using a flashlight and making shapes with your hands.
You can make hair for your puppet using yarn. Wrap the yarn around your arm, from your palm to your elbow, five to seven times. Cut the yarn loops at your palm and at your elbow and glue the strings to the outside edge of the bag. Allow the glue to dry completely.
To use the puppet, place your hand inside the bag and use your fingers to open and close the flap. You’re ready to perform as soon as you decide on a “who,” “what,” and “where.”
Cut out a body shape and glue it below the mouth of your puppet. Now you can make your puppets sit on a bench or on your lap while you perform a skit.
After you’ve made puppets (see the two previous activities), make up names for each of them and decide what kind of characters you’ve created. Are they happy puppets? Are they sad or mean? Create a voice for each puppet that suits its look. Practice talking with this voice while using the puppet. Next, introduce your puppets to everyone else’s puppets. Let them interact for a while. (This will help you with the next step.)
Divide into groups of two or more. Each group should make up a story that includes all of the puppets in the group. Rehearse the show until you are ready to perform. When everyone is ready, perform your puppet shows for each other. Kneel behind the piano bench, or crouch down inside the box. Reach up high enough so that the audience can see your puppets. Remember to always move the puppet that is talking so the audience can tell which one it is.
Here’s a puppet play adapted from a Brothers Grimm story. You can use your paper bag or stick puppets to tell this tale.
The witch puppet appears first.
WITOH:
Hello. I am a witch, and I love to turn princes into frogs! Do you want to know how I do it? I just dance my magic dance while singing, “Bibbily, babbily, boobily, bog! Turn this prince into a frog! Bibbily, babbily, boobily, boo! Until a princess kisses you.” Someone’s coming! I’ll hide over here. (Witch puppet hides; prince puppet appears.)
PRINCE:
I’m lost. Have you seen anyone around here?
AUDIENCE:
A witch!
PRINCE:
A witch? Which way did she go? (Looks left; witch appears right.)
WITCH:
Hello.
PRINCE (jumps):
Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there.
WITCH:
Who are you?
PRINCE:
I am the Prince.
WITCH:
Perfect! (Dances.) Bibbily, babbily, boobily, bog! Turn this prince into a frog! Bibbily, babbily, boobily, boo! Until a princess kisses you. (Prince puppet disappears, as frog puppet appears. Witch laughs and exits.)
Oh dear, ribbit. I don’t feel quite myself, ribbit. What’s happened to me? Ribbit.
AUDIENCE:
You’re a frog!
FROG:
A frog, ribbit! Oh, no, ribbit! (Princess sings from offstage.) Someone’s coming, ribbit! (Frog disappears; Princess puppet appears with ball.)
PRINCESS (singing):
Oh, what a day to play and play with my ball of gold, truly beautiful to behold. (Drops her ball into the pond.) Oh, no! My beautiful ball of gold! It’s gone! (She cries. Frog appears.)
FROG:
What’s the matter, ribbit?
PRINCESS:
My beautiful ball of gold has fallen into the pond. (Continues to cry.)
FROG:
If I get it for you, may I eat, ribbit, and sleep, ribbit, in your castle, ribbit?
PRINCESS:
Oh, yes.
FROG:
I’ll be right back, ribbit. (Exits; then enters with the ball.)
PRINCESS:
Thank you! (Exits.)
FROG:
Wait, ribbit! What about our deal, ribbit? (Exits.)
The princess puppet appears.
PRINCESS:
The royal chef has made my favorite meal. Mmm, delicious.
FROG (entering):
Hello, ribbit.
PRINCESS:
What are you doing here?
FROG:
Did you forget our deal, ribbit? I came to eat in the castle, ribbit.
PRINCESS:
A frog eat with a princess? Never!
FROG:
But you gave me your word, ribbit.
PRINCESS:
Very well. Here you are. (Hands him a plate. They eat.)
That was delicious, ribbit. Now, where will I sleep, ribbit?
PRINCESS:
Outside with the other frogs.
FROG:
No, princess, ribbit. You promised I could eat, ribbit, and sleep, ribbit in your castle, ribbit.
PRINCESS:
Very well. My room is this way. (She drags him up to her room.) You can sleep there. (They go to sleep. Prince puppet appears in a dream.)
PRINCE:
Princess, I am not really a frog. I am a prince. An evil witch cast a spell on me. (Prince puppet exits; witch puppet enters.)
WITCH:
Bibbily, babbily, boobily, bog! Turn this prince into a frog! Bibbily, babbily, boobily, boo! Until a princess kisses you. (Witch puppet exits.)
PRINCESS (awakening):
I had the strangest dream. There was a handsome prince and a witch who said that the prince will be a frog until he is kissed by a princess. Well, it’s worth a try. (Princess kisses frog. Frog puppet disappears; prince puppet appears.)
PRINCE:
Thank you, Princess. You have lifted the curse.
PRINCESS:
And I have learned to always keep my word. Shall we be friends?
PRINCE:
Yes.
PRINCESS:
Let’s go out and play with my ball of gold.
PRINCE AND PRINCESS (singing):
Oh, what a day to play and play with my ball of gold, truly beautiful to behold.
The scene ends.
At your library, you can find other books with puppet plays, such as Plays for Young Puppeteers by Lewis Mahlmann and David Cadwalader Jones.
Hold a paper plate up to your face, feel where your eyes are through the plate, and use a marker to mark your eyes on the plate. Following these marks, cut out holes where your eyes will be. Decorate your mask using the markers and supplies. Be creative. Eyelashes can be made out of sequins; the ears can be made of pompons. Think about the kind of character you’d like to create and decorate your mask to fit this character.
When you’re finished decorating your mask, cut one slit on each side of the plate just below your glued-on ears, about a half inch long and a half inch from the side edges of the plate. Cut two pieces of yarn, each about an arm’s length, and thread one piece of yarn through each hole and knot it. Then tie the mask behind your head.
Now you’re ready to perform. All you need to do is decide on a “who,” “what,” and “where” and find an audience; then you’re ready to be onstage!
In ancient times, all actors were men, so a mask was worn to distinguish a female character for the audience.
Instead of a typical mask, which goes over your face, this mask sits on top of your head like a hat. Because the face of this mask will be turned toward the ceiling, you can portray two characters. When you act with this mask, tilt your head down to let the audience see the mask’s face.
You’ll need a partner to help you make this one.
Place five full-size pieces of newspaper on your head. Hold the newspaper down over your ears while your partner runs a strip of masking tape all the way around the newspaper a couple of times, just above your ears—just like where the brim of a hat would be. Your partner should put enough tape on the newspaper so that it will stay in the shape of your head when you take the newspaper off. After you lift the mask off of your head, put crumpled up newspaper underneath the mask so that it won’t smash down flat while you work on building its face.
Build the shape of a face on your mask by taping more crumpled newspaper on top of it to make the nose, ears, and so on. Once the mask is in the shape you want, place the papier-mâché in a bowl and follow the package directions to mix. Cut some newspaper into long strips. Dip one strip at a time into the papier-mâché mix and cover your mask with them. Cover your entire mask at least twice with the papier-mâché strips. Let your mask dry overnight.
Once your mask is dry, paint it with tempera paints. Your mask should look like a hat. You don’t need to cut eye holes in this mask since you’ll be wearing it on your head. When you wear the mask on top of your head, the mask’s face should be looking at the ceiling. Now you’re ready to get onstage.
Perhaps the most ancient form of theater, mask acting uses the body to express feelings.
After you have made your masks, think about the character type each one is. Create names for each inspired by these characteristics. Create a special movement for each mask character. For example, some characters might do a little dance as they walk; others might flap their arms. Put the mask on and practice moving while wearing it. After a few minutes, take turns introducing your mask to the other actors. They can introduce their masks to you, too.
Divide into groups. In your group, make up a story that includes all of the mask characters in the group. Turn the story into a scene. Rehearse the scene until you’re ready to perform it. When every group is finished rehearsing, perform your mask scene for the other groups and watch the other groups’ scenes. Remember to use your entire body to express how your character is feeling in your scene.
This is an imaginative large-group game that combines acting with a freeze dance.
One player is chosen to be the wizard. The wizard decides what she will turn the others into—monkeys, for example. With a wave of the wizard’s imaginary wand, all others become monkeys and explore the space while walking and sounding like monkeys. Then the wizard waves her wand again and freezes all the monkeys. The other players must freeze right where they are. The wizard then walks around throughout all the frozen monkeys. If the wizard isn’t looking, the monkeys can try to tag the wizard, but if the wizard catches a monkey moving, she melts him with a wave of her wand. That monkey then melts to the floor and stays there until the next round. The game continues until one of the monkeys manages to tag the wizard before she sees him move. That player is then the next wizard.
Suggestion: You may want to turn the lights off and on when the wizard waves her wand. This will ensure that everyone knows when it has happened.
